The concert was preceded by an the orchestral workshop at 3pm, in which conductor Mark Finch took a light-hearted and informative look at the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 (AQA – AS level, 2012) and the Sinfonia, Gavotta and Vivo from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella (Edexcel – A2 level, 2012)

2011

Saturday 25th June 2011

Wind Serendade at Wycliffe College Chapel

Members of the GSO wind section played a light and varied programme, perfect for a summer evening.

COTSWOLD ROMANCE at the Parish Church, Cirencester.

A concert of romantic classics by Weber, Tchaikovsky, Glinka and Brahms – hitting just the right night for the Royal Wedding Weekend.

Solo cellist Philip Higham, who is rapidly emerging as one of the most prominent young cellists from the UK, performed Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme on his fine cello made by Tecchler in 1730.

Mark Finch, Conductor said:

We’re thrilled to be working with the very talented young cellist Philip Higham in what promises to be an exciting and stirring concert. It’s particularly apt that we have also chosen to play Glinka’s dance music Kamarinskaya on the weekend of the Royal Wedding, as this work is actually based on a theme from a wedding song. Romance will truly be in the air.

In a mid-summer spectacular, GSO went underground with the children of the forest to tell the story in music, art and movement of Hayley Savage’s extraordinary musical odyssey in pursuit of the moonflower which appears at night just once a year deep in the Amazonian rainforest.

The great nature-lover Dvorak set the scene in characteristic vibrant tones and Elgar took youthful delight in the magic of his surroundings. The hour-long concert ended with music from one of the most popular scenes in Walt Disney’s ‘Fantasia’.

7 June 2008

Defiance and hope are the themes of Colin Decio’s symphony in response to the 2002 outbreak of vandalism in the Cathedral, and hand bells are used to relay the peaceful message of reconciliation across the city.

This concert was recorded, and you can listen to some samples by clicking on our samples page.